Luck be a Lady
by Lily MJ Fae
Summary: Jacob Kowalski has never been a gambling man, but with Queenie in his life, he feels luckier than ever and takes a chance. Now he has enough money for a whole new opportunity.


_**A/N:**_ _This is my round 10 submission for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition. I am the seeker for the wasps. My prompt was to write about someone winning the lottery and changing their identity. So I chose to write about Jacob and Queenie._

 _I also thought it would be fun to mock the way the magical community seems to be run (looking at you Ministry of Magic). So that's why Jacob's new name is the way it is._

 _Since gambling was also outlawed in the 1920s with prohibition, there was no state run lottery. I went with numbers runners after learning about them from a different series that I read that takes place in the same time era and city, and did a quick bit of research on it._

 _Final word count according to google docs: 1328_

* * *

Winning with the numbers runners was never something that anyone accurately relied. No one could realistically hope for it, though many spent money they barely had on it. Jacob wasn't usually one to try his luck. However, since meeting Queenie (apparently for the second time, as he still didn't recall everything, but Queenie had told him everything), he'd been feeling rather lucky.

However, one day he saw one of the boys he knew did some number runnings. The boy had come in and asked once. Jacob just shook his head. But when he saw the boy as he was running in the back alley, Jacob stopped him, waving him down.

It'd taken several minutes for the boy to explain how picking the numbers worked, what they stood for and how he would win. In the end, Jacob just chose the numbers that represented the day Queenie had walked into his bakery, not really understanding how it worked. And he put down a good chunk, figuring that if it worked well, he'd do well, and if not, at least the boy would probably be on good terms with his boss.

The next day, he'd won. It wasn't just on one of his numbers either, it had been on every, single one. Suddenly, he found himself a very wealthy man, now having $5000 dollars. The grin on his face could not and would not be wiped away, even when a few customers were less than kind about some of his pastries.

Even when a car splashed him as he was walking home, and he was soaked from head to toe, his smile remained planted firmly on his face.

And it only grew wider at the sight of Queenie standing outside of his little shack of an apartment, smiling brightly just for him.

Mercy Lewis, he loved her. He loved everything about her. And he couldn't believe that she loved him.

Despite Queenie's height, Jacon immediately pulled her into a great big embraced, lifting her up and spinning her her around, pulling the most angelic laughter from her lips.

"What has you in such a good mood?" she teased, looking into his eyes as he set back down.

Of course, he didn't need to tell her, and he knew she was likely reading it just then, but still the words fell from his lips, "I just became a very wealthy man."

Queenie smiled, holding his hand as he led her inside the small apartment. At first, he'd been worried about it. But she'd told him about how he'd been inside her apartment, which had a strict "no men" policy and it was gone.

He had begun to slowly remember some of the events on his own, but not as quickly as he might have liked. Still, Jacob enjoyed the memories as they came back, especially the ones with Queenie.

"What were you doin, gamblin' anyway?" Queenie asked with a tilted head.

Jacob shrugged. "Guess I was feelin' lucky is all."

He let his mind wander to the numbers, and more importantly the _reason_ he'd chosen them, and Queenie's lips suddenly pressed to his cheek. "You're sweet, honey."

The thought entered his mind suddenly, with little warning, and Queenie pulled back, her smile replaced with almost concern.

"What was that?"

Jacob's cheeks flushed, an embarrassed smile on his lips. But the the thought went through his mind some more, and he grinned.

"Well, why not?" he asked. "I mean, no-majs get fake papers all the time. Sayin' they're here legally, or what not. Couldn't I get fake papers that made me a wizard?"

Queenie pondered for a moment. "Well, except you ain't a wizard, and they'd catch on pretty quick."

Jacob's spirit began to fall a little bit as he sat on the edge of his bed. But Queenie's face lit up as she moved to sit next to him, a comforting arm around him. "You ain't a wizard, and we couldn't fake it. Not easily. But you could be a squib."

 _Squib?_ He'd never heard them mention that term before.

Of course, Queenie read him before he had a chance to say it outloud. "A squib is a person born to a wizard family, but they ain't got no magic. Well, they can have some, but they can't do what wizards can entirely."

"Oh. What happens to them?"

"It depends. Sometimes the families send them off to no-maj schools, so they can learn to blend in with the no-majs. But sometimes they stay in the wizardin' world. Usually doing small jobs. But it ain't illegal for a squib to marry someone from the wizardin' world, since they come from it."

Jacob nodded, his mind trying to wrap around the new information. "Does that mean people like me can have wizard children? If you can have children like me without magic."

Queenie gave a small nod. "My pa was a no-maj born wizard. We ain't never met his family 'cause they died before Tina and I was born. But his family didn't have a lick of magical blood."

Jacob nodded. "So could we do it?"

Queenie chewed on her lip, eyes glazing over as she thought long and hard about it. "It would be tough. And we'd have to trust some people I don't like trustin'. But it could be possible. But Jacob, that would require a lot of movements. And you'd have to start your bakery over so no one could really tie it back to ya. We might even still have to leave New York."

Jacob might not have been a legilimens, but he could tell that Queenie thought it would be asking too much of him for them to be together. It tugged at his heart, because all he wanted to do was make her happy. And he knew that she read that on him, as her lips turned into a sad smile.

"Queenie, doll, you're worth it. I can have a bakery anywhere. I don't need New York. I just need my gal and a place to bake, and I'll be happy as a clam. I can sell the bakery here, and we can buy another one in another state. Close by still so you can see Tina."

"I guess we better see a certain Goblin about gettin' you some papers then."

* * *

A friendly man held out a set of keys to the building, one that was perfect for a bakery and had a little flat above it, just enough room for them, and perhaps the start of a family if they were so inclined. "Welcome to Vermont, Mr. and Mrs. Kowalsky," he said as Jacob took the keys from him, his hand squeezing Queenie's lightly. "I gotta be honest, I can't wait to see Jakab's Bakery here. Folks could use a good wholesome place like that."

Jacob grinned. "Well thank you. I'm looking forward to settin' up shop here."

Then man nodded and bid them farewell, leaving Jacob and Queenie standing in front of their new home. "I gotta say, I'm a little shocked this worked so well."

Queenie chuckled, leaning in to her husband.

"I mean, I just got the spellin' changed, but it's basically still the same. And yet, everyone believes me."

Queenie grinned, leaning in to press a kiss to the tip of his nose. "I also know a few good transfiguration spells just subtle enough that they couldn't recognize you, and yet you could be back to normal fairly easily."

It was Jacob's turn to chuckled as he stepped forward and unlocked the door. "Well, right this way, Mrs. Jakab Kowalsky." And he scooped her up in his arms as soon as she stepped forward, pressing another gentle kiss to his cheek.

"I'm glad you took a gamble on us, love. It's working out quite nicely for us. We got a new life to work on."

Jacob nodded in agreement, stealing a kiss before carrying her inside, heading upstairs towards their little apartment.


End file.
